BBC - Travel - Lego-heaven in Denmark By Carolyn Bain 29 September 2011 Though California’s Disneyland lays claim to the slogan, “The Happiest Place on Earth”, we like to think that Denmark's Legoland, though considerably smaller, may give it a run for its money. Related blog post: Denmark’s double-sized salute to the King Legoland is, after all, a theme park celebrating the “toy of the century” (title courtesy of Fortune magazine) in the country in which it was invented: Denmark, “the world's happiest nation” (according a Gallup World Poll). So you have to believe this place will be something special. And it is. Opened back in 1968, Legoland is located in Billund, a small town in regional Denmark that was the birthplace of the toy bricks. Billund is some 260km west of Copenhagen; handily, the airport that was built here by the Lego company in the mid-1960s has grown to become the second largest airport in Denmark. Public transport to the park is excellent.

Once here, your heart will be warmed by the sight of 59 million plastic bricks imaginatively put together to create Lego-heaven, possibly by so many happy Scandi families. You might feel a little underdressed if you are not accessorising with your own excited offspring, but do not be put off - this place all but begs you to embrace your inner child. For anyone above the age of, say, five, the highlight of Legoland is Miniland - 20 million plastic blocks snapped together to create miniature cities and replicate global icons. You cannot help but marvel at the brilliant Lilliputian models of the Kennedy Space Centre, Amsterdam canals, the Bergen waterfront or a Scottish castle and loch, and you will no doubt vow to head home and drag your Lego out of storage to see what masterpiece you can create. In Miniland you can also do some advance sightseeing of Danish landmarks including Copenhagen's tourist magnet Nyhavn; the country's oldest town, Ribe; or the royal palace of Amalienborg. Kids can take a mini-jeep safari through an African wildlife park (lions, zebras and giraffes built from Legos, of course).

All ages can take a miniboat trip past landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Acropolis, and Abu Simbel Egyptian temple. The reconstructions are on a scale of 1:20 to 1:40 and the attention to detail is incredible. The park's largest piece, a model of Mt Rushmore with the four American presidents, is built with a staggering 1.5 million Lego bricks. (The smallest piece? A dove in Miniland, built of four small white bricks.) New to the park in 2011 is the Star Wars area, where 1.5 million bricks have been used to recreate seven detailed scenes from the Star Wars films. The four-legged robotic walkers rendered in Lego are something to behold, as is the Tatooine cantina scene in miniature. Be sure to pick up a park map to assist with further exploration. The park is divided into themed areas, including Legoredo Town, a Wild West area; Knights' Kingdom, where a medieval castle awaits; Pirate Land, which hosts ships and sword-play; and Duplo Land, with safe, simple rides and activities for toddlers. Legoland's rides and activities are mostly geared to pre-teens and families.

For wilder rides suited to older kids, it compares unfavourably to somewhere like Copenhagen's Tivoli. Still, adrenaline-junkies should seek out X-treme Racers, a roller coaster that cranks up to a speed of 60kph, then head to the nearby Power Builder to defy gravity on a Terminator-like robotic arm. For some downtime stop by Atlantis, a large aquarium built around Lego models of divers and submersibles. For the chilled park-goer there are rides aplenty to keep the blood pressure down, from merry-go-rounds to a tranquil train ride. Once the entrance fee is paid, all rides are free. Happy indeed. Opening hours: The park's season is from April to October. Check the website, as there are a handful of closed days in April, September and October. Accommodation: Hotel Legoland is right by the park and continues the theme, with brilliant Lego figures and fabulous pirate, princess or knight-themed rooms. Legoland Billund (Denmark): Top Tips Before You Go - TripAdvisor Description: LEGOLAND(R) Billund is Denmark's most famous and popular amusement park for...

LEGOLAND(R) Billund is Denmark's most famous and popular amusement park for families and children of all ages. With so much fun, speed and action for the whole family, is just one day enough? Set your imagination free - on land, at sea, and in the air. LEGOLAND is a fantastic world of imaginative family experiences that focus on children - a place where you can set your imagination free on land, at sea, or in the air. And there's always plenty to choose from, no matter whether you prefer action or relaxation. read more Terrible “Childhood Wonder Come to Life” Full Disclosure: I traveled here in the early 90s. This place still holds such a memory and special place in my heart. I cannot wait to return and give it it's full review. As...

read more Reviewed 1 week ago Florida’s new Legoland park designed just for kids Florida’s new Legoland park designed just for kids Published : 2011-10-14 18:52 Updated : 2011-10-14 18:52 WINTER HAVEN, Florida ― This is what a theme park built for children looks like: Kids are driving slow one-seater toy cars while their parents watch from the sidelines. They are steering boats, turning water cannons on each other, playing with Lego toys while their parents hold their place in line for a ride. The roller coasters are not too high, not too fast. There are no teens necking in dark corners. The park is Legoland California, near San Diego. On Oct. 15, its sister park will open in Winter Haven, about 40 miles from Orlando. It will be the only major park in Central Florida designed for children ages 2-12. Legoland is not intended for parkgoers of all ages; it doesn’t have heart-in-your-throat roller coasters or rides with complicated story lines and expensive cutting-edge visuals.

What it does have is statuary and cityscapes built of Lego parts and rides that look like they were. It has attractions that demand a little more participation by the kids ― hoist yourself up a tower with a rope on a pulley; steer a boat that is not on tracks; shoot a stream of water at a fake fire; clamber up a chute made of rope mesh. It has “pink-knuckle” rides, small coasters just fast enough to give a youngster a thrill but not so scary that the small knuckles gripping a safety bar turn white. And it has plenty of opportunities to play with ― and buy ― Lego toys. “The whole proposition is about bringing the Lego toy to life and creating an interactive world,” said Peter Ronchetti, general manager of Legoland California. The park’s target age of 2 to 12 “is an age where children use their active imaginations. That is the environment we create for them.” Parks that appeal to teens have roller coasters and discussions about G-forces and inversions, Ronchetti said. “That’s not about creativity and engaging the imagination. That’s about thrills. “Here we make the children the heroes. The children get in the car and drive.

It’s probably the first time the children have taken charge, driven a car, sailed a boat.” Some people argue that Legoland is not alone in targeting kids that age and will have trouble competing with other parks, especially Disney. “Magic Kingdom is really geared for families with kids that age,” said Julie Neal, co-author of the guidebook “The Complete Walt Disney World 2011.” “Disney’s Hollywood Studios has parades with Pixar characters.” Special guests drive jeeps past Lego zebras at Safari Trek during a preview of Legoland Florida as a part of the park’s soft opening Oct. 6 in Winter Haven, Florida. (Orlando Sentinel/MCT) Others say Legoland got it just right. “Look at Coastersaurus,” said Robb Alvey, founder of ThemeParkReview.com, referring to one of the park’s pink-knuckle coasters, which has a top speed around 20 mph. “It’s just the perfect amount of thrills for a young kid. You don’t want to scare the bejesus out of them. If they’re 4 years old, they’re going to think they’re conquering the biggest thing in the world.

They’re gonna be there, hands up.” Legoland Florida will be the fifth Legoland Park. The first opened in 1968 in Billund, Denmark, home of Lego toys, followed by parks in England, California and Germany. A sixth will open next year in Malaysia, and Merlin Entertainments, the parks’ British-based parent company, says it is actively looking for more sites. Although the parks have different layouts and some different rides and attractions, they have more in common than they do differences, chief among them the orientation toward children. In focus groups, Ronchetti said, “Some of the parents were very keen for us to extend our range beyond 12 years. The answer is no, we’re focused on younger children. We will not extend the age range. It would in a sense dilute the mission if we extend it to older families.” Several parents at Legoland California agreed.

A mom who gave her name only as Christina explained what she likes about Legoland while keeping an eye on her 7-year-old daughter, who was maneuvering a toy car on a miniature street in Driving School: ”There is a lot of interactive stuff for children to do, so it keeps them very busy.“ At Disneyland, about 60 miles north, she said, ”There are a lot of rides that are a little scary, so I would say this is more kid-friendly.“ Her comments were echoed by Joe Taricani, whose 7-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter were trying their hands at driving. ”Disneyland is overwhelming for them,“ he said. ”They’re still not at the age where Disneyland makes sense for us. These parks are more comfortable for this age.“ Legoland promotes its parks as being more interactive than other parks, starting with the Lego toys that are available for children to play with at different stations. In the Imagination Zone, youngsters can build a Lego car, play with a robot hero, or build something from bricks.

”Kids come to Legoland and they say ‘I want to build.’ So we made a room for them to build in,“ said Julie Estrada, spokeswoman for the California park. Legoland Florida was built on the site of the former Cypress Gardens, which closed for good in 2009 ― 73 years after it opened. Some elements of Cypress Gardens were restored and incorporated into Legoland, but most of the old park was razed and cleared away down to bare earth ― and underground. ”We essentially built a new park on an old site, it’s 80 percent new,“ said John Ussher, Legoland’s director of development. Models, statues and other elements are built with 50 million Lego bricks, glued with a specialty polymer to ensure they are reinforced ― just in case anyone thinks a piece of, say, Bob the Builder would make a nice souvenir. The park will have about 50 rides and attractions. The first rides that guests will see as they enter are the Island in the Sky and the Grand Carousel, inspired by the Lego carousel model.

Many will be the same attractions that the other parks have: Driving School, the Dragon coaster, Kid Power Towers, the Royal Joust, the Miniland cityscapes. But each of the parks has its own character. In Florida, some of the unique elements will be holdovers from Cypress Gardens, Ussher said. The Lake Eloise ski stadium remains, but the water ski show will be replaced with a pirate-themed water stunt show. The rotating Island in the Sky, a 153-foot tall observation tower, has been refurbished. The historic botanic gardens have been restored; waterfalls, Lego models and a scavenger hunt are being added. Two of Cypress Gardens’ roller coasters have been modified to make them more child friendly: Swamp Thing, a suspended roller coaster, is now the Flight School ride, and the Triple Hurricane wooden coaster is now the slower Coastersaurus.

In addition, the Florida park’s Miniland ― cityscapes and other scenes created in painstaking detail from Lego bricks and other parts ― will have three ”clusters“ that the other parks don’t: a fantasy cluster with swashbuckling pirates on two ships battling each other; a Florida cluster that includes models of the Capitol in Tallahassee, the beaches of northwest Florida, Bok Tower, the Florida Keys, South Beach and more; and another with the Kennedy Space Center and Daytona International Speedway. Still in question is what to do with Cypress Gardens’ Splash Island water park, which was part of the purchase of Cypress Gardens but is not included in the new park. Adrian Jones, the new park’s general manager, said ”it’s lovely, it would be lovely to use it,“ but it has to be refurbished. He said the company wants to see how successful Legoland’s first few months are before making a decision about the water park. Legoland California opened a water park attached to the main park in May 2010, the first water park at any Legoland.

It’s not a separate park, as the ones owned by the big Orlando theme parks are, but a $12 add-on to general park admission, open Memorial Day to Labor Day. With its lazy river, water slides and toddler play area, ”it’s been hugely successful,“ Ronchetti said. Some people spend four or five hours just in the water park, he added. By Marjie Lambert LEGO Store at Downtown Disney (The “World” According to Jack) « Transportation and Ticket Center – TTC | Main | Candy » LEGO Store at Downtown Disney When I was five years old, I was given a set of blocks for Christmas. I loved this simple toy. With my imagination and these brightly painted pieces of wood I could build towers to the sky. When I was six, I was given a set of Lincoln Logs. Although I enjoyed this rustic construction set, I felt it was limited compared to my blocks that allowed for more possibilities. When I was eight, I received an Erector Set. For those of you too young to know about this toy, it was a collection of metal girders, pulleys, wheels, nuts and bolts, and an electric motor. With this engineering marvel I could build truly sophisticated contraptions.

Not to mention, an Imagineer was able to use one of these sets to design “Soarin’.” LEGO bricks were introduced to the U.S. in 1961 (I was nine). However, by the time they became a mainstream commodity, I had moved past the “toy” stage of my life. It wasn’t until I turned thirty that a friend gave me a set as a gag gift. Little did he know that he was actually giving me something that I would play with for the next fifteen years. But somehow when I moved to Florida, my set was lost in transit and I’ve never replaced it. I miss my LEGO bricks. Here’s a picture of me looking a bit surprised when caught playing with my LEGO bricks. A LEGO shop has been a permanent fixture at Downtown Disney for a long time. Over the years, a number of life-size figures, built from these interlocking blocks, have adorned the exterior of the shop. However, as different statues have come and gone, the sea serpent swimming in Village Lake has been a constant feature. Here’s a picture of a bird about to be eaten by our green and yellow friend. Recently, the LEGO store closed for an extensive remodeling.

When it reopened two weeks ago, a number of Disney inspired statues had replaced the former outside figures. This first sculpture is from Sleeping Beauty. Here we see Prince Phillip atop his horse Sampson, trying to slay Maleficent as the dragon. Further on we find Buzz and Woody, blasting off from RC Car in the exciting climax of Toy Story. And finally, we find Snow White visiting the Dwarfs at their diamond mine. A leftover from the previous figures is a model of the typical family on vacation at Disney World. If you notice, the young boy is dressed in his pirate costume and his sister is a princess. Unless otherwise stated, Downtown Disney Marketplace and the LEGO shop open at 9:30 daily. On the morning I took these pictures, I arrived at 9:20 to find a group of people already waiting for the LEGO shop to open. I looked around and noticed that no other store had people milling about. This attests to the popularity of the product. As the clock ticked closer to opening, a cast member was busy filling the outdoor play stations with a collection of LEGO bricks. Here, kids of all ages can build impromptu structures.

The LEGO store is huge and the walls are lined with dozens and dozens of LEGO kits. Numerous displays show guests what the completed product will look like. For the older kids and adults, more complicated kits are available under the TECHNIC label. In the center of the store is a play station complete with computers. Kids can select different programs and play LEGO games or discover step-by-step instructions on how to build a masterpiece. One wall of the shop contains several hundred clear plastic bins, each holding a different shape and color of LEGO brick. Nearby are two sizes of cups. Fill the large cup for $14.99 or the small for $7.99. This is a great way to supplement any collection or replace lost pieces. Although not available at the moment, a separate room will soon be offered to rent for private LEGO parties. Inside the shop you’ll also find a great photo op with Buzz and Woody. So where did this outstanding product come from? Woodworker Ole Kirk Christiansen of Billund, Denmark made his living by constructing houses and furniture for his village and the nearby farms. When the Great Depression hit, he needed to cut costs, so he began creating miniatures of his products as design aids.

This eventually lead to him making wooden toys. In 1934, Christiansen named his new toy making company LEGO, which is a contraction of the Danish words “leg” and “godt,” which means “play well.” Plastic became available in Denmark shortly after World War II and Christiansen purchased an injection molding machine. His first plastic toy was a truck that could be taken apart and reassembled. Meanwhile, the Kiddicraft Company in the U.K. was producing interlocking plastic blocks. Christiansen, and his now partner son Godtfred, obtained samples of the Kiddicraft blocks. They improved upon the design and began selling their own product in 1949. The blocks were called “Automatic Binding Bricks” and were made out of cellulose acetate. In 1953, the bricks were given a new name: Lego Mursten, or "Lego Bricks." In the beginning, the bricks were not well received. Consumers preferred wooden or metal toys. It wasn’t until Godtfred hit upon the idea of a toy “system” that LEGO bricks began to achieve some success.

In 1955, LEGO released its first system, “Town Plan” and sales began to pick up. In 1961, LEGO wanted to expand sales to North America, but lacked the capital to do so. A deal was eventually struck with the Samsonite Company, allowing them to manufacture and market the product. In 1963, a new, more stable plastic, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS plastic) replaced the older formula. These new bricks are extremely durable as anyone who has stepped on one in their bare feet can attest. Ouch! On June 7, 1968, the first Legoland Park opened in Billund. The park featured complex models of buildings designed to resemble cities and towns, built entirely out of LEGO bricks. The original park covered three acres, but unprecedented success pushed its boundaries to eight times its original size in the following years. Today, there are four Legoland Parks, the original in Billund, Denmark, a second in Windsor, England, another in Günzburg, Germany, and a forth in Carlsbad, California. A fifth park is currently under construction on the old Cypress Gardens land located about 30 minutes southwest of Disney.

It is scheduled to open in October 2011. For more information, click here . Here are few astounding LEGO facts: Approximately 19 billion LEGO elements are produced per year. 2.16 million are molded every hour, 36,000 every minute. More than 400 billion LEGO bricks have been produced since 1958. There are about 62 LEGO bricks per person of the Earth’s population. Approximately 7 LEGO sets are sold every second around the world. Laid end to end, the number of LEGO bricks sold in a year would reach more than 5 times around the world. There are about 2,350 different elements in the LEGO range; 52 different colors. In LEGO brick production, only 18 out of every 1 million LEGO elements comes out defective. LEGO makes 306 million tires a year, making it the world’s largest tire manufacturer. Goodyear Tire & Rubber makes about 200 million. The LEGO Store at Downtown Disney is worth a visit. The sculptures alone are remarkable and the various kits available are mind-boggling.

This store is a lot of fun for adults to browse and the kids will have a blast playing with the samples. LEGO bricks aren’t cheap. Anyone who has priced these plastic blocks knows that they come with a hefty price tag. Be prepared to part with some bucks if you decide to bring your kids (or husband) here. I need a new set of LEGO bricks. Tags: Boston.com / Travel Lego Land California By Nathan Cobb, Globe Staff CARLSBAD, Calif. - ''Look at the plane!'' a father standing near us exclaims, pointing out a black dot in the blue southern California sky to his young daughter. ''Is it real, or is it LE-GOS?'' You never know. Not here anyway, not at LEGOLAND California, where we wouldn't be surprised if the pizza we were eating for lunch turned out to be made from the plastic stud-and-tube bricks. The Denmark-based LEGO Group says there are about 30 million LEGOS in its 128-acre theme park that opened in March, which is just one example of the trivia that continually washes over us here. Question: What's involved in making a detailed LEGO model of Grand Central Station?

Answer: 600,000 bricks, four model makers, and six months. LEGOLAND California is the third LEGO park, the first two being in Billund, Denmark, and Windsor, Great Britain. (A fourth is planned for a 2002 opening, most likely in Germany.) It is the latest addition to the southern California ''family attraction'' loop that includes Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, the San Diego Zoo, and Sea World. You may recall that during the early 1990s, then-Massachusetts governor William Weld tried to pitch a plot of land in Mansfield and Norton as the site for this first US LEGOLAND. But LEGO executives were too smart for him: They knew about New England's weather. Here, 97 percent of LEGOLAND is outdoors, and the park is open year-round. Fifty percent larger than Disneyland and perched atop rolling hills that were formerly tomato fields, it is aimed at 2-to-12-year-olds - not to mention their bleary-eyed and camcorder-toting parents. It cost $130 million to build and features some 40 rides and attractions.

But from the moment we entered its portals and walked past a 23-foot-tall LEGO-built tyrannosaurus rex, we learned it's really about the 5,000 or so models that are made of those 30 million acrylnitrile butadiene styrene bricks. That's plastic to you and me. The model of the US Capitol is made from 1,641,000 bricks, weighs 717 pounds, and took 1,200 hours to build! ''LEGOS are so-o-o-o boring,'' laments a teenage girl walking in front of us, and it's true that anyone between the ages of 13 and 19 will find this place a tad subdued. Its six major themed areas are colorful but not flashy. There's no neon, no loud music. Our 12-year-old son discovers he's too old for many activities, even when motoring a small blue electric car through Driver's School with other stoplight-running children.

(''My dignity is being tested,'' he says.) Still, he's happy enough peddling around a tall ridge in a goofy three-passenger Sky Cycle, rolling along in a small and low-key roller coaster called The Dragon, or working his way through an elaborate wood and plastic climbing structure known as The Hideaways. And he particularly likes the LEGO stuff he can do with his hands, such as building and testing a race car and using a desktop computer to program and operate a small robot. (''My dignity is restored.'') But, like his parents - who have spent more money on LEGOS than they probably will on his college education - Ethan is fascinated by the staff-created LEGO models. OK, the San Diego Zoo, located 34 miles down the freeway, has a pair of pandas. But are they made of acrylnitrile butadiene styrene? The bust of Albert Einstein is made of 1,120,000 bricks and is 151/2 feet high! It was built in Denmark and had to be transported to California in sections because it was too big to fit through the doors of the building in which it was contructed!

The heart and soul of LEGOLAND - this one and the other two - is Miniland. The first LEGOLAND opened in Billund in 1968 because LEGO realized that folks wanted to see LEGO models. Today that park primarily displays European buildings made of about 45 million bricks. The Miniland here in California is constructed of about 20 million bricks and is strictly a US phenomenon that features painstakingly-constructed models of New York City; Washington, D.C.; New Orleans; the California coast; and even the very same New England that was eschewed as a LEGOLAND site. It is incredibly detailed, down to the limos waiting outside Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, the cop chasing a burglar across the roof of a Los Angeles manse, and the break dancers slithering on a Manhattan sidewalk. Built in Denmark and England before being shipped here, it took three years and about 100 designers and builders to construct, is controlled by 12 computers, and uses 175 miles of underground electrical wire.

It is also a great promoter of LEGOS, so much so that you wonder how in the world the LEGO Group managed to lose nearly $40 million last year, its worst annual loss ever. Ethan likes Miniland so much that he asks to return after dark so he can see it when its lights come on. ''I think I've discovered what I want to do when I grow up,'' he announces as he watches the Manhattan skyline twinkle in 1-20 scale. The Golden Gate Bridge is made of 75,000 bricks and has 100 lights! It is made of a special shade of orange brick to match the original bridge! Making LEGO models is just what 34-year-old Henrik Lykke has been doing for eight years, although he never did it in Denmark as a child and is an automobile spray painter by training. (''A Danish kid without LEGOS? Impossible!'' chirps his fellow builder, Darren Ward, who's from England.) We meet Lykke backstage at the Model Shop, a building where LEGOLAND visitors can watch new models being produced.

Surrounded by hundreds of plastic boxes containing many of the 6,500 bricks available to them, the five model makers currently working at LEGOLAND California - not to be confused with the four ''animatronics'' people who build the electronics and animate many new models - are creating a 16-foot-long octopus that will grace a water ride that is under construction. Like many LEGO models, it was built first in miniature. Modelers then constructed it in half-size before starting the full-size figure, a process called ''doubling up.'' They use a liquid that slightly softens individual bricks and allows them to be tightly fused. Lykke is one of two builders who designed and constructed the US Capitol here, a feat that took about seven months. ''Because the real building is so large, ours is 1-60 scale, not 1-20,'' he says. He explains that he works from photos, drawings, and sometimes even original blueprints. But there are no computer renderings involved. Indeed, Lykke often doesn't even follow a photograph or drawing, especially when he's concocting, say, a fish or a fox.

''It would be like Picasso starting with a photo or a computer printout,'' he says. ''Sometimes it's easier to just paint.'' Maintenance of existing models is part of the job, too. ''We get birds pecking on them all the time,'' Lykke explains. The new red octopus will be made of 300,000 bricks weighing about 600 pounds! It would take one person about six months to build! LEGOLAND has all the accoutrements you'd expect to find at any theme park. A family of four should plan to spend $100 or so for meals that go beyond fast food but have often lost their freshness by the end of the day. LEGO gear of all sorts can be had, too, from 75-cent pencils to $85 windbreakers. And, of course, LEGO building kits are for sale at every turn. After all, LEGOLAND does nothing if not further promote the well-known name of a company that began in the 1930s making handmade wooden toys and now sells its ubiquitous bricks - billions of which are made in Enfield, Conn. - in 138 countries.

(LEGO, incidentally, combines the two Danish words, ''leg godt'' for play well.) ''A new park every three years around the world,'' proclaims the company. We've spent nine hours at LEGOLAND California, ending our long day with a Coast Cruise through the park's S-shaped lagoon. As our 32-passenger boat is about to glide beneath a small bridge, our captain, whose name is Chris, makes a startling announcement. ''The bridge is made of zero LEGO bricks,'' he says. ''That's zero LEGO bricks.'' We don't believe him for a minute. This story ran on page M1 in the Sunday Boston Globe on August 29, 1999. Attractions Cozy Inn Costa Mesa California CA Hotels Motels Accommodations OC Fair & Event Center 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626 The OC Fair & Event Center (OCFEC) is at the heart of Costa Mesa's vibrant year-round events calendar, hosting over 150 events and attracting over 4 million visitors annually. The campus is home to Centennial Farm, Pacific Amphitheatre, Equestrian Center and Costa Mesa Speedway.

It is also the home of one of the largest fairs in California and the United States, the Orange County Fair, each July/August. The Fair receives more than one million visitors each year. OCFEC's 150 acres has been the home of the OC Fair ever since 1949; it has expanded to an annual 23-day summer event. Segerstrom Center for the Arts 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626 Segerstrom Center for the Arts, formerly the Orange County Performing Arts Center, is Orange County's performing arts and theater complex and home to the world's leading dance companies, Broadway shows, award-winning classical, jazz and cabaret artists, family entertainment, special events and year-round educational programs. It is also the artistic venue for three resident Orange County musical companies: Pacific Symphony , the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Pacific Chorale. Disneyland/California Adventure 1313 S. Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, CA, 92802 “Welcome to the place where imagination is the destination.” This greeting from Disneyland's website exemplifies the atmosphere of Disneyland Park as it welcomes visitors from all over the world.

The world-famous amusement park brings fantasy, fun and delight to adults and children alike year round. Disneyland has a larger attendance than any other theme park in the world, with nearly 600 million guests since its opening day. The park is just a short 13-mile drive from our Costa Mesa hotels. In 1953 Walt Disney purchased a 160-acre parcel of land in Anaheim near the junction of the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) and Harbor Boulevard in order to construct Disneyland. Beginning with the opening of Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland on July 18, 1955, Disneyland Park now contains a total of 58 different rides and attractions. It is the only theme park to be built under the direct supervision of the visionary Walt Disney himself. Disneyland was renamed Disneyland Park in 1998 to distinguish it from the Disneyland Resort complex. With eight separately themed areas, including New Orleans Square, Mickey's Toontown and the Main Street USA promenade, Disneyland is among the most popular tourist attractions in Southern California because its wide variety of exciting experiences appeals to families with children and people of all ages.

As if there wasn't already enough fun to be had in Disneyland and its companion theme park, Disney's California Adventure, The Walt Disney Company also developed Downtown Disney with an entertaining combination of restaurants, unique shopping boutiques and night time entertainment venues. No ticket purchase is necessary to enter the Downtown Disney area. Every night various performers entertain visitors to Downtown Disney with feats of magic, juggling techniques, dancing, singing and playing of various musical instruments. Disneyland Park is open from 9 AM to 8 PM everyday, and California Adventure is open from 10 AM to 8 PM daily. Hours do change seasonally so please check their website. The complete events calendar can be found here and day passes, annual passports and park hopper tickets can be purchased here . Knott's Berry Farm 8039 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park, CA, 90620 Developed by farmer Walter Knott and his family in 1920 to sell their fresh berries, homemade berry preserves and pies, Knott's Berry Farm evolved into a full-fledged amusement park starting in the 1940s, building world-class rides and offering free entertainment.

Today, Knott's Berry Farm consists of six themed areas: Ghost Town, Fiesta Village, The Boardwalk, Camp Snoopy, Wild Water Wilderness and Indian Trails. Knott's Berry Farm features outrageously exciting roller coaster rides like Boomerang, a scream machine that inverts people 6 times in less than one minute. Knott's Berry Farm is known for visitor events throughout the year, including the thrillingly scary Knott's Halloween Haunt, where the entire park re-themes itself into a haunted house-style attraction. For those looking for Knott's world-famous jams and jellies, The Berry Market specializes in selling both individual jars and gift packs of the preserves, jellies, jams, and fruit pancake syrups. Knott's Soak City Orange County opened in 1999. Located east across Beach Blvd. from Knott's Berry Farm, it occupies 13 acres of land south of the main parking lot and Independence Hall, which includes a wide variety of water feature attractions. Soak City is open daily from Memorial weekend through Labor Day weekend, and then only weekends in September. Premium passes can be purchased for both the Berry Farm and Soak City parks.

When dining or shopping in The California Marketplace area of Knott's Berry Farm, parking is free. Mrs. Knott's famous fried chicken dinners have been served since 1928 at the Marketplace. You can also find other well-known southern California cuisine like Pink's Hot Dogs. Most days, the park is open at 10 AM and closes between 5-10 PM – check the Knott's calendar for more details. Tickets and season passes can be purchased here . 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 (714) 536-5281 The Huntington Beach City Beach is a 3.5-mile stretch of pristine shoreline. Popularly known as "Surf City," Huntington Beach is home to the world famous municipal pier, and is a west coast surf mecca for more than 8-million annual visitors. Angel Stadium 2000 Gene Autry Way, Anaheim, CA, 92806 Angel Stadium is the home of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the major league baseball team formerly known by several different names including the California Angels. The stadium hosts all Anaheim Angels MLB home games and seats 45,050.

Angel Stadium is located off the 57 freeway, just 13 miles from Costa Mesa. Aquarium of the Pacific 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA, 90802 The Aquarium of the Pacific is facility in Long Beach dedicated to showcasing the sea life found in all areas of the Pacific Ocean. The aquarium's striking architecture is meant to convey the power of the sea. It has life-sized blue whales suspended from the ceiling, 30-foot-tall to million-gallon tanks, with various shows and exhibits throughout the year. Home to more than 11,000 ocean animals representing nearly 500 species, and featuring 19 major habitats and 32 exhibits, Aquarium of the Pacific's exhibits include: • Shark Lagoon, featuring more than 150 sharks, rays, shark touch pools, interactive displays, a theater and the Bamboo Bistro outdoor café • Lorikeet Forest, a 3,200 sq. ft.

outdoor aviary with more than 100 enthusiastic lorikeets twittering to each other in the trees • Arctic and Antarctic: Our Polar Regions in Peril, where people can touch sea jellies, view king crabs and meet a real live Arctic fox • Ocean Science Center, which uses a Science on a Sphere from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to explore our planet and tell stories about ocean phenomena and their impacts • BP Otter Habitat, where visitors can walk along a rocky coastline among barnacle encrusted pilings, enjoy ocean and inland vistas, and peer underwater to discover the busy world of sea otters as they swim and interact amongst kelp and fish • Tropical Pacific Gallery, featuring more than 1,000 colorful fish from the warm ocean waters of Palau, a 125-mile long island in Micronesia Part of the purpose of Aquarium of the Pacific is to educate the public about marine life and marine habitats. The aquarium is open from 9 AM until 6 PM every day of the year. The Aquarium is about 25 miles from Costa Mesa.

Santa Ana Zoo 1801 East Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, CA, 92701 One of the most popular attractions at the Santa Ana Zoo is the Zoofari Express children's train, which has two 14-guage engines in 4-4-4 configuration locomotives. The train track is approximately 1,850-ft. long. The original gas powered engine in train #1030 was refurbished with an electric-powered engine in 2006. The Santa Ana Zoo also contains exhibits of endangered species, a rain forest and a children's zoo. SeaWorld 500 SeaWorld Drive, San Diego, CA, 92109 SeaWorld is a world-famous tourist attraction in San Diego that is renowned for its orca whales, sea lion and dolphin shows. SeaWorld San Diego was opened on March 21, 1964, by Milton C. Shedd, Ken Norris, David Demott and George Millay. In 1989 the Anheuser-Busch Company purchased the entire chain of 6 SeaWorld parks and invested many millions of dollars to revive and prolong their longevity.

SeaWorld contains zoological displays featuring hundreds of different species of fish as well as many other attractions such as: Shark Encounter, one of the most popular attractions in which guests are carried through one of the world's largest underwater viewing tunnels to experience a rare, fascinating, up-close look at prehistoric predators whose ancestors dominated the sea more than a hundred million years before dinosaurs walked the earth. Blue Horizons, where dolphins fly, birds dive, and spirits leap in a visionary sea and sky spectacular. Soaring birds, playful dolphins, dramatic pilot whales and thrilling aerialists fuse the vibrant energy of two fascinating worlds into a mesmerizing display of dance, flight, color and entertainment. Journey to Atlantis, a water ride that combines soaking flume fun, thrilling roller coaster action and amazing special effects while visitors journey to a lost civilization. The journey begins with a splashy 60-ft. plunge and ends face-to-face with fascinating Commerson's dolphins. Shipwreck Rapids, in which people ride in a tube style raft on a winding river at the heart of a peaceful island. The ride whirls, swirls, splashes and crashes through playful rapids and foaming whitewater, and then it plunges through a waterfall into a secret underground cavern.

Sesame Street Bay of Play, where children can explore two acres of childhood magic with their favorite characters from Sesame Street. It's filled with family friendly fun and rides like Elmo's Flying Fish, Oscar's Rocking Eel and Abby's Sea Star Spin. Children can even have their picture taken with their Sesame Street friends. Wild Arctic, a simulated helicopter ride to the Arctic. After the ride, guests arrive at a simulated base station where they can observe polar bears, Pacific walruses and beluga whales. SeaWorld is open 7 days each week all year round, usually from 10 AM until 7:30 PM, although hours of operation may vary on some days each month. It is recommended to arrive 15-20 minutes before show time or even earlier on busy days to find a seat. Guests can feed playful Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and sea lions by hand at designated times throughout the day. SeaWorld is about 80 miles south of Costa Mesa. Catalina Island Avalon, CA, 90704 Santa Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island or Catalina, is a rocky island about 20 miles southwest of Los Angeles.

The island is 22 miles long and 8 miles wide when measured from Long Point. The highest elevation on the island is 2,097 ft. at the peak of Mt. Orizaba. As one of the Channel Islands in the California archipelago, Catalina Island is situated within Los Angeles County and most of the island is administered by the Catalina Island Conservancy. The total population in the 2000 census was 3,696 people, almost 85% of who live in the island's only incorporated city of Avalon. The second center of population is the unincorporated village of Two Harbors with a population of 298. The remaining population is scattered over the island between the two population centers. Legoland One Legoland Drive, Carlsbad, CA, 92008 In 1932 Ole Kirk Christiansen, who lived in Billund, Denmark, made the first Lego toys out of wood. He made wooden piggy banks, pull toys, cars and trucks.

Two years later Ole named his toys and his woodworking shop Lego, a contraction of the Danish words “leg godt,” meaning “play well.” In June of 1968 the first Legoland was opened in Billund on a 9-acre site. All buildings, landscapes and vehicles were built using standard Lego bricks and 625,000 people came to see this unique attraction during its first year of operation. Two Guinness world records were set in 1992 using Lego products. A castle made with 400,000 Lego bricks was built on Swedish television and a 1,788-ft. long Lego railway line with three locomotives was constructed. Legoland California in Carlsbad was opened in 1999 and it is a 128-acre park geared specifically toward young children. San Diego Zoo 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA, 92101 The San Diego Zoo is located in Balboa Park, San Diego, and it is considered to be one of the most progressive zoos in the world.

With over 4,000 animals from more than 800 species, it is also one of the few zoos in the world to house the giant panda. The San Diego Zoo is privately operated by the nonprofit Zoological Society of San Diego on 100 acres of parkland leased from the City of San Diego, and ownership of all animals, equipment and other assets belongs to the City of San Diego. The San Diego Zoo has been a pioneer in building exhibits without cages and its first lion area without enclosing wires was opened in 1922. Exhibits are often designed around a particular animal's natural habitat. Some of the largest free flight aviaries in existence are in the San Diego Zoo. Some exhibits have invisible wires, darkened blinds to view birds, and pools or open air moats for large mammals. The zoo offers a guided tour bus ride that traverses 75% of the park. There is also an overhead gondola lift ride named Skyfari that provides visitors with an aerial view of the zoo.

The San Diego Zoo contains 9 different zones and each zone contains various exhibits such as: Polar Rim, which includes the Arctic Aviary Exhibit, the Polar Bear Exhibit and the Reindeer Exhibit Panda Canyon, with a facility that can comfortably house up to 6 pandas Asian Passage, which includes the Lion-Tailed Macaque Exhibit and the Sun Bear Exhibit Elephant Odyssey, a 2.4-acre area that features elephants, lions, jaguars, sloths, camels, tapirs and California condors Lost Forest, which includes the Australasian Aviary, the Birds of Prey Exhibit, the Flamingo Exhibit, the Gorilla Exhibit, various kinds of monkey exhibits, the Taper Exhibit, the Tiger Exhibit, the Owens Aviary, the Parker Aviary and the Scripps Aviary Urban Jungle, featuring a herd of Masai giraffes, Soemmerring's gazelles and native African antelopes Africa Rocks, with Big Cat Exhibits, the Kopje Exhibit and the Meerkat Exhibit Discovery Outpost, an area containing the Chidren's Zoo, the Crocodile and Turtle Exhibit, the Giant Tortoise Exhibit, Hummingbird House, Insect House and Reptile House Outback, which contains

 the Camel Exhibit, the Koala Exhibit and the Wallaby Exhibit The San Diego Zoo is open every day of the year, including all holidays, from 9 AM until 5 PM.

During the fall and winter seasons, hours of operation are from 9 AM until 8 PM. During the spring and summer seasons, the zoo is open from 9 AM until 6 or 7 PM, depending upon the day of the month. The San Diego Zoo is about 85 miles south of Costa Mesa. Watching 400 Maint Street, Newport Beach, CA, 92661 Davey's Locker Whale Watching & Sportfishing offers whale watching and deep sea fishing excursions daily and year round from the historic Balboa Pavilion out of Newport Bay, Newport Beach. May through November brings the opportunity to view giant blue whales during their migration into local waters as well as finback whales, minke whales, common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, giant risso dolphin, sea lions, and many other marine creatures. December through April is the primary grey whale migration period. The gray whale migration brings tens of thousands of gray whales along the Newport Beach coastline heading south to winter in Baja and then returning to summer feeding grounds to the north. During the migration it is not uncommon to see a half dozen or more whales during a single whale watching cruise.

Davey's Locker's whale watching captain and crew members provide narration and are available to answer any questions you might have during the cruise. The 70-ft. Ocean Explorer is the company's primary whale-watching vessel, with two full walk-around decks, a full bar, a snack bar and two restrooms. Davey's Locker also offers sportfishing trips daily with half-day, ¾-day or overnight fishing trips to choose from. All trips are open to the general public. They offer several departure times during the day, catering to almost any schedule. Half-day trips average 5-6 hours in length and fish locally, from Long Beach to Dana Point. They can catch barracuda, halibut, sand bass, calico bass, red snapper, giant yellowtail, white sea-bass and many other species. Their ¾-day trips average 10 hours and fish over 40 miles of coastline or exotic Catalina Island. Fishermen can catch yellowtail, barracuda, bonito, calico bass, sand bass, white sea-bass, halibut and yellowfin tuna. Hundreds of fish per trip is common with almost non stop action. Larger gamefish are usually caught on the longer trips.

The fleet has state-of-the-art electronics, spacious indoor/outdoor seating and full amenities including a full-service snack bar and kitchen. Crew members are onboard to assist with anything you might need. Rod rental, tackle, and anything you might need for your fishing trip is also available at check in. Diego Sepulveda Adobe 1900 Adams Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626 The Diego Sepulveda Adobe, also known as the Estancia, sits on a bluff overlooking the Santa Ana River bed in Estancia Park. The Segerstrom family purchased the property surrounding the Adobe in 1940. The Segerstrom family recognized the Adobe as an important part of history and donated the land, and the Estancia, to the City of Costa Mesa in 1963 . The land and structure was donated to serve as a memorial to the early settlers of the area. The Adobe is the second oldest structure in Orange County and is California Historical Landmark number 227 . Shortly after the Abode was donated, a frame covering the structure was removed, revealing the original structure. The Adobe was then restored. A committee of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce established the museum inside of the building.

In 1966, the committee became the Costa Mesa Historical Society , which have been the caretakers of the building ever since. The interior museum represents four distinct periods in Orange County history - Indian, Mission, Spanish and Victorian. Although the current incarnation of the Adobe is a museum, it was originally built between 1817 and 1823 to house the herdsmen who tended the cattle and horses from Mission San Juan Capistrano. The Estancia is located six Spanish Leagues , or about 24 miles, north of the mission. From its founding in the early 1800s to its purchase from the Segerstrom family in 1940, the Adobe changed ownership several times. As the Mission Period passed, Spanish land grants were partitioned and the Adobe became property of Don Diego Sepulveda. Next, Gabe Allen, a Los Angelino who fought in the Mexican-American War , acquired it. Allen's brother occupied the house for the next 16 years. The Allen family passed the Adobe on to the Adams family. The Adobe then served as a meeting post for the American Legion after the First World War .

The Estancia is open to visitors on the first and third Saturdays of each month between noon and 4 p.m. The Historical Society also hosts an annual open house for the community, usually in mid-September. The Estancia can also be scheduled to host an event by contacting the Costa Mesa Recreation Department at 714.754.5300. 1000+ images about LEGOLAND on Pinterest | the Originals, Corporate offices and Founding fathers The Yellowknife airline featured in the Ice Pilots NWT television series has been commemorated in Denmark's Legoland park. See More

Question: Which theme park was opened in Billund in 1968 as Denmark's answer to 'Disneyland'?
Answer: LEGOLAND